Read 2 Corinthians 7:8-10
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (v. 10).
“I don’t want to go to jail,” wailed one of my sons. Little sister joined in the crying, “He doesn’t have to go to jail, does he? I don’t want him to go to jail!” I was amused at how quickly what had seemed so funny was now so serious. You see, the little man had discovered how to call some- one and block the Caller ID so that it would show up “Restricted.”
He was having such fun calling random numbers and teasing whoever happened to answer the phone (without my knowledge or permission). One little girl he called thought he was her friend and would not believe he was just a random prankster, so to prove it he sent her a picture as a text. This time his number showed up, and it was not long until her father called and left an urgent message. I was able to talk to the father and apologize. Soon the matter was resolved, but not before my son experienced some godly sorrow. (Daniel Edwards)

Once in sin’s darkest night I was wand’ring alone;
A stranger to mercy I stood.
But the Savior came nigh when He heard my faint cry,
And He put my sins under the Blood. — Nellie Edwards

True repentance makes you sorry enough to quit!

This devotional is the entry for Monday, April 6, 2015, of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Liberation" by jar () used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read Luke 24:36-44

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (v. 39).

Read Romans 1:21-32
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (v. 25).
It is unspeakably sad that man would take the very knowledge of God and pervert and change it to fit their own hearts’ desires. We see the results of sin so vividly in these verses, turning men from the knowledge of truth and of God to embrace their own sinful and twisted lust. Thus they were both darkened and depraved.
Is there judgment for these actions? Tim Keller says it this way, God’s judgment on godlessness and wickedness is to give us what we want. He “gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts.”
To lose God is to lose everything. To lose connection with Him is to sink into an abyss of darkness, intellectual and moral. It is to be fitted for wrath which always follows the life who does not esteem Him or give Him the worship due His name. And of course when sin is so embraced our life is filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, maliciousness, back-biting, despitefulness, even haters of God. (William Cook)

What a downward spiral! What a sad rebellion!

This week's featured devotional is from the Thursday, March 26, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Downward Spiral" by M. Clarise Moore used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.



Read John 14:26-31

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,

and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (v. 26).

The birth of a baby giraffe holds some fascinating lessons for us. The mother goes to a spot where there are no bushes, just flat dirt. As the baby is born, it falls ten or twelve feet. When the baby hits the ground, it rolls over and just lies there with legs all curled up under it. The mother positions herself over the baby to protect it from predators, and seeing none, she kicks the baby. It flies across the dirt head over heels. If the baby does not stand up, the mother will go over and kick it again, sending it sprawling. This will happen over and over again until the baby finally stands up. The mother goes over and sends it flying again. She knows that the baby needs to learn and needs to remember how to stand so it can save itself later in a time of danger. She kicks it again, not because she is having a bad hair day, but because she wants her baby to remember.

Is it not better to learn that way than try to learn with a lion hot on your tail? How could a God who supposedly loves us let us go through terrible times? That is very simple. God loves us so much He teaches us lessons that will help us survive during the difficult times of life. (L Gayle Woods)

The Spirit guides and teaches in every part of life.

This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, March 18, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "giraffe" by Sadie Hart used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read Romans 1:3-7
“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (v. 4).
Probably the greatest demonstration of the power of Jesus was in His resurrection. He conquered death, hell, and the grave! Jesus gave the unequivocal declaration to His disciples, after His resurrection: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). One of the great proofs of the deity of Jesus is that He possesses all the attributes of the Godhead. According to Scripture He is the Creator of the universe. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). The attribute of omnipotence or being all powerful is emphasized in today’s lesson.
When we see what is happening in our nation and world, we may wonder why an omnipotent God does not intervene. We should remember that Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). God sees all things from beginning to end, and we can rest assured that His will will be accomplished, on time and in proper order. (Burl McClanahan)

All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all. — Edward Perronet

We have an omnipotent Christ who can do for us what is best.

This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, March 11, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Jesus' Tomb" by upyernoz used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read Psalm 19:1-14
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (v. 7).
The United States government has written laws which are thousands of pages long. Even with such length, these laws do not cover a broad range of possibilities. We can have laws thousands of pages long yet still need hundreds of laws to cover every contingency.
This problem is not new. Israelite religious leaders had a tendency duriing Jesus’ time to create intricate laws about even the most minute details of everyday life. These laws were terribly burdensome.
Somehow humanity thinks more laws will make us better able to stay in line. God knows better. His law is perfect in its simplicity. This world’s wisdom does not compare to God’s. (Michelle Avery)

The law of God is good and wise,
And sets His will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.
Its light of holiness imparts
The knowledge of our sinful hearts,
That we may see our lost estate
And seek deliverance ere too late. — Matthias Loy

God’s law shows His wisdom and His love.

This devotional is the Monday, February 23, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Light reading" by Loozrboy used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized, text added.

Read Proverbs 5:15-23
“Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running wa- ters out of thine own well” (v. 15).
We were created with very real needs for relationship, love, acceptance, a sense of self-worth, recognition, and purpose. Our Heavenly Father has lovingly made provisions for each of these needs. God never fails His child, but we fail each other. We experience rejection instead of recognition; abuse destroys our sense of self-worth. It is hard to love or receive love. We have a choice. Will an unmet need control life, or will we allow God to control when, where, and how our needs will be met? This choice has life-changing importance. Turning to the world to meet legitimate needs often starts a downward spiral. Decisions are made; attitudes develop. Motivation that originated as a desire for relief, escape, recognition, comfort, or acceptance turns destructive. The attempt to meet a need becomes bondage — a bondage unwanted and hard to break free from. No longer the master, the individual unwittingly becomes the victim of the choices made.
We have the opportunity and responsibility to choose whether to be the master of our desires and needs or to allow them to have mastery over us. Lord, help us to be careful in meeting the needs of others and allow you to meet our needs! (LAD)

Lord, I choose to trust you with this day.

This week's featured devotional is from the Monday, February 16, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "Israel - Nimrod - fortress cistern" by Matt Mickelson used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized, text added.

Read Psalm 31:17-24
“Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous” (v. 18).
Several men were seated in a circle talking, and the subject turned to fishing. As it often happens in such circles, one story is told, and another tops it with his story of success. Glenn, who could have been described as having some cognitive limitations, was among the men. He had a story of his own. He said he had caught a very big fish. He was asked, “How big?”
“Well,” he said, “it was so big it took a half hour for the hole in the water to close up!”
Now that was a story!
As I remember it, about that time the group erupted with laughter and dispersed. They had been bested by someone they thought was incapable of such declarations, but remember that lying, shading the truth, and exaggerations come under the condemnation of God.
God is truth. God expects truth from the lips of His people. Truth is the very fabric of the gospel, and we discredit it if we fail to tell the truth. God tells us about how really sinful and helpless we are apart from God, and by God’s grace we will dwell in a realm where truth and truth alone is the order of the day. (Lonnie Witt)

They who practice lying are not a reflection of the Author of truth.

This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, February 11, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "38 Pounder from Eldean" by Tim Creque used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read Matthew 21:12-16
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves” (v. 12).
Since my husband grew up in a builder’s home, we enjoy looking through model homes, finished or not. If it is furnished and decorated, the house tells a lot about the people living there. I especially remember a furnished one we toured that had a million dollar price tag. There were three levels of living space, two kitchens, and a guest house, all beautifully decorated. But what impressed us most was the fact that there were Christian mottos on the walls and an open Bible prominently placed on the office desk. We concluded that the family living there loved Jesus.
What would people conclude about us if they could see the furnishings of our “heart houses”? Would the decor indicate wrong attitudes and desire for things that would displease our Lord? Or would the beauty of a heart surrendered to God be evident?
What if Jesus came physically into our churches, what would He find? Is our church a place where truth is taught and careful living encouraged? Would He find evidences of love, peace, and joy? Or would He need to drive out strife, self-will, and pride? May we open the doors of our hearts and let Jesus drive out what is displeasing to Him. (Leta Witt)

Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay; come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
— Harry D. Clarke.

Let us strive to decorate our lives and churches with a love that is evident.

This week's featured devotional is from the Thursday, February 5, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo Credit: Cayman Brac Mission Home by Zenia Woods

Read John 4:13-19
“For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly” (v. 18).
It is a common thing in the news, especially in election years. This or that politician stands with head bowed, admits to an extramarital affair, and withdraws from the race. You might think that after having seen so many die political deaths over sexual misconduct that all those interested in public office would be especially careful to avoid it. The list, however, continues to grow. Why did these men even attempt a candidacy when they were behaving indiscreetly? They, like so many of us, forget that no matter how secret our sins seem to be, they will be found out.
God is never fooled by our attempts to hide sin. We may try to overlook it, explain it away, talk around it, or even lie about it, but God sees, He knows, and He prods our consciences until we either admit our sin or turn away from Him entirely.
Are you trying to hide sins in your life? Are there things about which you do not like to pray? Take time today to ask God to search you and reveal to you any hidden sins. (Karen Speak)

Search me, O God, and know my heart today.
Try me, O Savior; know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from ev’ry sin, and set me free. — J. Edwin Orr

“Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, January 28, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Just looking into the darkness" by Fabio used under CC BY 2.0 / Canvas expanded to 960 pixels wide.